Page 41 of Embers in Autumn
My smile came without effort. “I’d love that.”
For a second, neither of us moved. The flowers he’d set aside on the console table caught my eye—warm yellows and reds, glowing even in the dim porch light. He picked them up, held them out to me. “These are for you.”
My throat tightened. I reached for them, my fingers brushing his, and before I lost my nerve, I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. The rough warmth of his stubble grazed my lips, and I pulled back just in time to see surprise flicker into something softer in his eyes.
“Good night, Dean,” I said quietly.
“Good night, Amber,” he replied, steady and warm.
I climbed into the taxi clutching the flowers to my chest, the scent wrapping around me like a promise. As the car pulled away, I caught one last glimpse of him on the porch, hands in his pockets, watching me go.
My heart raced, my lips tingled, and in the back seat of that taxi I thanked my lucky stars he hadn’t mentioned the texting from the other night. Because if he had, I wasn’t sure my blush would have ever faded.
CHAPTER 12
Dean
The next morning broke gray and damp, the kind of rain that wasn’t a downpour but a steady autumn drizzle, soft and stubborn. The wipers squeaked across the windshield as I steered us down the hill toward the school.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Lana slumping deeper into her seat. She had shadows under her eyes, a little pale, and every so often she rubbed at them with the heel of her hand.
I narrowed my gaze. “Alright, what’s going on? You look tired.”
“Nothing,” she said quickly, eyes darting out the window.
Then she yawned so wide her jaw cracked.
I arched a brow. “Uh-huh. Want to try that again?”
Her lips curled into a sheepish grin. “Fine. I… maybe stayed up a little late.”
“How late?”
She hesitated, then admitted, “Two.”
“Two?” My voice sharpened. “Two in the morning?”
She winced but smiled at the same time. “It wasn’t my fault! One of the books Amber gave me—the one about the treasure map—it was so good. I told myself I’d only read the first chapter. Then one more. Then another. And then there was this tiny cliffhanger and I couldn’t stop, and by the time I looked up it was chapter fourteen.”
I sighed, shaking my head. “Lana, as much as I admire your passion and the fact that you consume literature like other kids consume ice cream, you can’t stay up that late on a school night.”
She crossed her arms, clearly gearing up for defense. “Other kids my age are talking about smoking, Dad. Be proud of my advanced reading skills.”
I fought a smile, keeping my tone stern. “Iamproud. But I’m also concerned about your physical health. You need sleep if you want to keep that brain sharp enough to finish all those cliffhangers.”
We pulled up to the curb, rain tapping softly on the roof. I leaned across and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Get through today, and early bedtime tonight. Deal?”
“Deal,” she mumbled, grabbing her backpack.
Before she hopped out, I asked, “What did you think about Amber?”
Lana smirked, one foot already on the pavement. “She’s great. If she tried, she could do better than you.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Ha-ha. Hilarious. Now get to class.”
She grinned all the way to the door, shoulders lighter despite her tired eyes. I watched her go, shaking my head but smiling anyway. That kid.
The rain had thickened into a steady drizzle by the time I pulled into the firehouse. The concrete glistened, reflecting the red doors like a watercolor. Inside, the place smelled of old coffee and wet gear, the steady hum of the heaters trying to dry yesterday’s coats filling the background.
